


So This Is Love

by DreamingKate



Category: Glee
Genre: AU!Klaine, Cinderella Elements, M/M, fashion designer!Kurt, reporter!Blaine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 10:59:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1896540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingKate/pseuds/DreamingKate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine had hoped that sneaking into the party would further his career. He never expected to meet Kurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So This Is Love

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Could you do a Cinderella story type prompt where Blaine is Cinderella and Kurt is the Prince?

Hands tightening around his clipboard, Blaine narrowed his eyes at the man sitting at the desk. Adam’s smile was overly bright, his suit was too tight and he let out another incredibly fake laugh. 

“And be careful out in that rain New York. However, if you need an ark,” Adam gave the camera an exaggerated wink. “I Noah guy. This is Adam Crawford, signing off.”

The studio exploded into action and Adam turned to glare at Blaine. Of course he would be angry. Blaine gave him gold, he had butchered it, and now he looked like an idiot. Of course this was all Blaine’s fault.

“You got the numbers wrong,” he piped up and Adam’s eyes flashed.

“Maybe if it were written well I wouldn’t have a problem.”

“Hmm, maybe,” Blaine pressed his lips together and Sam let out a soft noise next to him, shaking his head. 

“Hey Chandler,” Adam called out and the blonde boy’s head snapped around from the snack table. “Let’s go talk to Sue about getting you on camera. I heard that there’s something happening at campus today.”

Chandler’s entire face lit up and he bounced after Adam, never giving a second glance to Blaine and Sam still standing in the studio. Letting out a groan, Blaine tapped the clipboard to his forehead and sighed. 

“If you don’t play nice, you’re never going to be an reporter,” Sam turned back to his camera. 

“Sure I will, Adam has to die someday,” Blaine slumped into a nearby chair and grabbed a donut from the snack table. 

“And until then you’re just going to be an intern with zero experience. Without at least some on air experience, you’ll never make it in New York,” Sam shrugged and pulled his jacket on. “You want your dream of being a reporter? You have to kiss ass.” 

Blaine grumbled and leaned slightly against his friend as they walked out of the studio. It wasn’t fair. He had worked his ass off to get a degree in journalism and had gotten into the competitive Channel Six internship. He worked every night on his research and knew that what he presented to the higher ups was quality but it didn’t matter. Adam had decided on day one that he didn’t like him and that was that.

“You just need one good tape,” Sam said cheerfully. “Once you’re out there, you’re in the clear. Report on something people want to hear about. Meet important people.”

“I don’t know,” Blaine sighed, hoisting his heavy bag up higher on his shoulder. 

“Just because one asshole doesn’t like you, that doesn’t mean that other people won’t,” Sam nudged him lightly. 

“Yeah, but that asshole is the most popular news anchor in the city. He has won awards!” Blaine jumped in place a few times and Sam laughed.

“Just pick something big and make a story about it. I’ll tape it and we’ll give it to Sue. Once she sees how good you are, she’ll have to put you on camera. You’ll make connections, it’ll be awesome,” Sam’s face lit up and he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Blaine had frozen in place, eyes locked on a large poster covering the side of a nearby building.

**New York Fashion Week**

Huh.

—

As bizarre as it sounded, Kurt didn’t really like going to parties. 

Sure, he liked dressing to the nines and drinking nice cocktails but it was acting. He had to plaster on a smile, nod along to compliments and try to pretend that the number of people trying to get into his good graces didn’t bother him.

Being the Prince of the Fashion World at twenty-seven wasn’t supposed to be a burden.

“Maybe you’ll meet the one,” Rachel grinned at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Oh yes, the one. I’ll find him among a sea of Ken dolls that have gone through too much plastic surgery,” Kurt popped another grape in his mouth. 

As soon as he got to New York, he had been hungry to secure his position in the fashion world. He was cutthroat, vicious and took no prisoners in his climb to the top. It didn’t win him any friends and it really didn’t leave any room for romance. 

“All you have to do is show up, drink a few glasses of champagne, smile at a few cameras and then we can come home and change into our pajamas,” Rachel pointed at a dress in Kurt’s book. “Here, I want to wear this one.”

“Done,” Kurt made a note. “As long as we have a Meg Ryan marathon.”

“With lots of ice cream,” Rachel agreed.

—-

“So, you need me to dress you?” Santana asked slowly, crossing her arms over his chest. “Did you realize that you couldn’t get into the parties dressed in thrift store plaid button ups and high waters?”

Blaine frowned down at his outfit and felt a blush rise in his cheeks. “I don’t have wardrobe people to get clothes for me. If I don’t look the part, I’ll never be let within a mile of the party.”

“This is just like high school,” Santana’s shark smile spread across her face and she reached forward to pinch his cheek. “Me having to get you into parties. No drinking shots until you barf all over my shoes again, okay?”

“Does that mean you’re going to help me?” Blaine grinned and she rolled her eyes. 

“Please, I can get you and Blondie a couple of nice suits. The people at Vogue love me,” she gave him a little shrug. “Plus…I kind of want to make my ugly duckling into a beautiful, gay swan.”

Before he could protest, she pulled him in. Santana had always slightly terrified him but she had taken him under her wing in high school. The head cheerleader made sure that no one bothered the bookish Blaine and he made sure that she passed calculus. 

They were pretty inseparable after the move to New York but three weeks into the semester, Santana had been discovered by a modeling agency and that was that. Her popularity skyrocketed and Blaine had struggled to make ends meet. Pity might have had something to do with her inviting Sam and him to move in with her but Blaine didn’t complain. 

New York was much harder to succeed in that he had ever imagined.

So much for the city where dreams came true. 

Santana’s friend Isabelle waved them in with bright smiles and offers of cookies. For the next hour and a half, Blaine found himself poked and prodded and forced into more outfits than he had worn in the past year. 

“Adorable,” Isabelle trilled, stretching a tape measurer across his shoulders. “I have the perfect thing for you to wear.”

The perfect thing was a charcoal grey suit with iridescent stitched swirls on the lapels that glimmered in the lights. She paired it with a crisp white shirt and black bow tie. Finally, she frowned and styled his hair until it swept up from his forehead in a graceful swoop of curls.

“Now you look like you belong at a fashion party,” she handed him over a pair of shoes. 

As they approached the party, weaving through the line of limos, Blaine’s stomach twisted with nerves. The press was supposed to be stationed on the east side of the building and none were allowed to go inside. He knew that Adam would be smiling at the camera among the other news reporters.

If he were caught, he would get in trouble. He could get the network in trouble. 

Oh God, Sue was going to kill him.

“They’re with me,” Santana said shortly to the man at the door, looking stunning as always in her clinging red gown. The man look startled but stepped aside and Blaine was instantly overwhelmed.

Beautiful people, beautiful music, and beautiful decorations surrounded him. Within moments of stepping in, he was handed a glass of champagne that probably cost more than he made in a month. Sam looked equally startled, eyes wide and flickering around the room.

“Go mingle, make friends,” Santana nodded towards the crowd. “I’m going to go get myself my next gig.” 

It took less than ten minutes before Sam abandoned him to flirt with some models. 

Feeling a little buzzed from the champagne and overwhelmed from the amount of people around him, Blaine felt like he was just spinning in place. Where the hell did he even start? How could he make connections and contacts when he felt so out of his comfort zone?

He gulped down the rest of his champagne and took a step forward when a man blocked his way.

“Another glass?”

—

Rachel’s gown was absolutely the best one at the party. The sparkling off white fabric clung to every curve and Rachel just sparkled like the star that she was. With every bright grin and pose, she bragged about her famous designer friend and a swell of pride filled Kurt’s chest.

He had created something beautiful. He had created something that showed off how beautiful someone else was.

This was why he had gotten into the business, not because of these stupid parties. 

His eyes scanned the crowd as he ignored the flirty model next to him. Sure, the young man was attractive but it was obvious that there wasn’t much going on in his head. Just as he was about to politely tell the man to go away, something caught his eye.

The suit had been specially designed as a personal project. Kurt had never wanted it to be shown because it never looked right on any of the models. Every thread had been hand stitched and he had poured his heart and soul into it. 

It was like he had made it for the man wearing it.

Without a word to the man next to him, Kurt walked down the steps towards the man in his suit. He grabbed two glasses of champagne from a nearby serving tray and stopped right in front of him, smiling when the man jumped a little in surprise.

“Another glass?” 

“Oh…sure,” the man gave him a shy smile and took it.

“I love the suit,” Kurt sipped at his own glass. “Who are you wearing?”

“Um…” the man became adorably flustered and Kurt felt his own smile widen. “Prada?”

“Prada?” Kurt raised an eyebrow. “You work for them?”

“Sure!” The man nodded vigorously, glancing around the room. “I’m…a model for them.”

Kurt had to bite his lip from laughing out loud. It wasn’t that the man wasn’t handsome because he certainly was. His eyes were bright and his shy smile was stunning but he clearly wasn’t a model. There was a certain shyness and innocence to the man in front of him that made him so much more attractive than any model Kurt had ever seen.

He was a real person.

“I was not aware that Prada hired models under six feet,” a blush spread across the man’s face. “Plus that suit is my own design.” 

The man’s face froze and his eyes widened as he stared blankly at Kurt. “Oh my god…you’re Kurt Hummel.”

“I am,” Kurt laughed. “And your name Mr. Prada model?”

“Okay,” the man held up his hands, smiling sheepishly. “So I…might not have an invite to this party. I’m a reporter.”

“A reporter?” Kurt raised his eyebrows. “You know that the press isn’t allowed inside right?”

“I can just go…”

“Or not!” Kurt looped an arm through the man’s. “I’d love to get to know more about the man who managed to swindle my suit from Isabelle.”

“I’m Blaine,” the man smiled softly and Kurt clinked their glasses together.

—

Kurt was something else. 

As soon as he realized that Kurt wasn’t going to call security, he had let himself relax. Kurt smiled at him so warmly and happily talked about his work. It was so rare to have such an easy conversation at a first meeting and Blaine honestly felt like he had known Kurt forever.

“So, why have I never seen you before?” Kurt asked warmly, leaning slightly closer. 

“I’m just trying to get a foothold in the business. I’ve been…pushed down a bit and it’s hard to get in front of the camera,” he shrugged, looking down into his half full glass. “But if you hear any kick ass facts, I probably found those.”

“The facts are my favorite part!” They both broke into laughter. “I think you would do so much better in front of the camera than some of the other people on that channel. That…spastic Chandler drives me up the wall.”

“That should have been me,” Blaine sighed. “I’d do anything to even have a little fluff piece.”

“You are better than reporting on the opening of dog boutiques,” Kurt said softly. 

Maybe it was the champagne or the environment they were in, but Blaine felt like he was drunk off of Kurt. He couldn’t look away from his blue-green eyes for a second, wanting to drown in them. 

“Do you want to dance?” He blurted out and felt a small thrill of victory as Kurt’s ears reddened.

“Of course.”

He took both of their glasses and handed them to a nearby waiter before taking Kurt’s hand. It was like a puzzle being put together. They just fit, seamlessly connecting as they moved into a dance. Kurt’s hand drifted to his lower back and held him close as they swayed and Blaine’s eyes closed. 

It was like they were alone in the room. It was like he had waited forever to be held in this man’s arms. 

The concept of love at first sight had always made Blaine laugh. How could you know you were in love after just one glance? It was stupid, it was unrealistic.

It had hit Blaine like a bus. 

Never in his life had he felt so safe and at home. Turning around to meet Kurt’s eyes as he descended that staircase made everything inside of him click into place. 

“Blaine,” Kurt whispered next to his ear. “I-“

“We have to go,” a pale Sam sprinted up to Blaine and grabbed his elbow. “Right now.”

“What?” Blaine stumbled slightly at the pull. 

“Somehow Adam found out we were in here. He told the security team and called Sue,” he kept tugging on his sleeve. “We have to go!”

Panic made Blaine’s chest tighten and he spun at look at Kurt with wide eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head and hurried for the door with Sam.

—

“Are you going to get up today?” Rachel peeked her head into Kurt’s bedroom and frowned at the piles of papers. “Kurt?”

“What?” He blinked at her owlishly, glancing up from his laptop. 

“You need to go to work,” she handed him a bowel of yogurt and granola. “And not pine about your lost love.”

“He’s a reporter Rach, not just a reporter but an intern,” he sighed, frustrated. “His name isn’t listed anywhere and I don’t have a last name. What if I can’t find him?”

“You move on.”

It had been three days since the party and Kurt hadn’t stopped looking for Blaine. He knew that their connection was not one sided, he had seen it so clearly in those eyes. He had waited for Blaine for so long and there was no way in hell that he would give up on him so easily. 

“I don’t think I can,” she sat on the end of his bed and sighed. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

“You only spoke to him for a few hours,” Rachel pointed out.

“It felt like we had known each other forever,” Kurt glanced back to his stack of newspapers. “I just want to see him again.”

“Alright,” Rachel turned to switch on his television. “You look through the papers and I’ll flip through the news stations.”

Kurt gave her a grin and nudged her a little with his foot before turning back to the newspapers. He skimmed through the articles, desperate to find any sign of Blaine. There was one close call when he found a Mr. Blaine Powers but after a frantic google search, it turned out he was an older, balding man. 

“Nope,” Rachel flipped through the channels. “Nope, nope, nope.”

“You don’t need to narrate,” Kurt ground out. “I get it.”

As annoying as Rachel could be, Kurt was beyond grateful for her help. Instead of laughing him off and going to any number of parties that she had been invited to, the Broadway starlet had chosen to sit with him and go through an almost fruitless search for Blaine.

“Aw, a baby chimp was born at the zoo,” Rachel cooed, making Kurt roll his eyes again. “And the reporter is…Kurt!”

“And baby Mango has finally arrived,” a familiar voice made Kurt’s head snap up. “She was healthy and already an adorable, beloved member of the zoo’s family.”

Blaine was smiling brightly at the camera, dressed in a warm scarf and coat. A baby chimpanzee could be the fluffiest fluff piece ever but it was so obvious that Blaine was thrilled to finally be in front of the camera. His grin and bright eyes took Kurt’s breath away for a moment and he jumped up. 

“This is Blaine Anderson at the New York City Zoo,” Blaine smiled again. 

Kurt sprinted out of his apartment and quickly called his driver, pressing the elevator button repeatedly until it reached the bottom floor. Sliding into the car, he told the driver the address and prayed that Blaine would still be there when he reached the zoo.

His body sagged slightly with relief when he saw the news truck sitting in the front. After paying the entrance fee, Kurt pushed through the crowd surrounding the exhibit to see Blaine standing near a camera crew.

The other man’s face was alight with happiness as he watched the playback on the small display. He looked so overjoyed that Kurt couldn’t keep a smile off his own face. Pushing through the crowd again, he managed to get right to Blaine before the smaller man noticed him.

“Kurt!”

Kurt pressing a kiss to his lips cut off his surprised cry. Almost instantly, Blaine melted and reached up to cup the back of his head. They separated after a beat and stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“You left before I could kiss you goodnight,” Kurt said softly and Blaine grinned. 

“Well, I’m glad you found me.”

“And on camera,” Kurt nodded towards the cameraman who was grinning like a loon. 

“It turns out that Adam has been sabotaging me this entire time,” Blaine ran his fingers through his hair. “He kept telling my boss that I was screwing him up and…she had a fit. He’s fired and I’m a correspondent.”

“That’s amazing!” Kurt kissed him again. “And of course you get it when I’m trying to find you.”

“Guess it’s fate,” Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt’s neck and pulled him close.

If he hadn’t made that suit, he might not have noticed Blaine. If he hadn’t given it to Isabelle, he would have never gotten it. If he hadn’t gone to the party, they wouldn’t have met. If Blaine hadn’t been found out, Adam’s plan to have him thrown out of the station would have worked. If Rachel hadn’t turned the television on, they wouldn’t have seen him.

If he hadn’t been standing on the staircase and turned around at that exact moment, he might not have seen Blaine.

It had to be fate. 


End file.
